Mink pelt



Feb. 16, 1965 J. M. KAPLAN 3,169,901

MINK FELT Filed Jan. 15, 1963 a 6 0 0 430 00000 ooowo Mo 0 0 0 M M0 0 M36 A A ZW M 00 0 0430 4@ A 0 0 0 430 5006000 OZ) 0 7500 A Q 0 0 00 5 (3000000000 4& 0 000 0 06 O OAA A .EMO w M 0 i wowm 1600065060 40050 60006 @9 a-woooww M M \3 090090 0060 M MW M H 0' n D u a a 0000 ,P a 0N d 66 M 00 1 09! V D u H, (D D 5 3 D United States Patent $369,901 MWK FELT Jacques M. Kaplan, 730 th Ave, New York, N.Y. Filed Earl. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 251,683 3 Claims. (Cl. 161-62) This invention relates to a fur product, and more particularly to a mink fur pelt for use in making mink fur garments and the like.

The present application is a continuation-in-part application of my application Serial No. 120,534, filed June 29, 1961, and entitled Processed Sheared Mink.

According to the present invention, a mink fur product is produced by shearing a mink fur pelt containing guard hairs and fur fiber so that the fur fiber has a length after being sheared of between three and seventeen millimeters (().l20.67 inch). When sheared, the water repellent characteristics of the mink fur pelt are greatly increased and only a minimum time is required in which to dry the sheared pelt after it has been wetted. When the mink pelts are formed into mink fur capes or coats, the garments sometimes become exposed to rain and the like when in use, and it is desirable that the fur garments shed water adequately and dry very quickly after being wetted.

In an unsheared mink pelt the guard hair which is longer than the fur fiber apparently tends to retain moisture or water droplets therebetween over the fur fiber when the mink fur is wetted, and after a relatively short period of time the weight of the water retained over the fur fiber by the guard hair apparently causes the water to seep or ooze toward the pelt skin between the individual fur fibers thereby wetting the pelt.

Surprisingly, in a sheared mink fur pelt the outer surface of the fur fiber apparently becomes relatively dense and provides a smooth relatively flat surface. Substantially all the water falling on the mink fur will be shed or repelled and will glide or flow away from the outer surface of the fur. Thus, the sheared fur fiber remains in a substantially dry condition even when exposed to rain and the like.

Among the several objects of this invention are the provision of a new mink fur pelt in which the pelt is sheared; the provision of a mink fur which has improved waterrepellent characteristics and a minimum drying time after being Wetted; the provision of mink fur having an increased resilience of fur fibers or an increased springiness after the fur fibers are compressed or pressed against the fur skin; and the provision of a mink fur pelt having increased flexibility which allows the pelt to be easily workable and fitted into garments. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein after. I

The invention accordingly comprises the products hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View of an unsheared mink fur pelt with water droplets being dispensed thereon from a water faucet and being shown in largely diagrammatic fashion; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of a sheared mink fur pelt with water droplets being dispensed thereon from a water faucet and being shown in largely diagrammatic fashion, the water droplets being repelled by the fur fiber.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, mink fur pelts before being sheared, as indicated generally by the letter U, have individual fur fibers or under-hairs 11 and guard-hairs 13 with outer ends 15 thereof extending over the fur fibers or under-hairs 11. Under-hairs 11 are more dense than guard-hairs 13 and when the unsheared pelt is wetted, such as from faucet F, water droplets D, as shown in FIG. 1, are apparently retained between guard-hairs 13 over the relatively dense fur fibers 11. After a relatively short period or" time on fur fibers 11, the weight of the water causes the Water to seep or .ooze toward the for skin between the individual fur fibers 11 in generally finely divided water droplets thereby to wet the fur pelt. Thus, unsheared mink pelt U retains moisture or water for a considerable period of time since the water is caught between the relatively dense fur fibers and the pelt thereby requires a relatively long period of time in which to dry after being wetted.

Referring to FIG. 2 in which a sheared mink fur pelt is indicated generally by the letter S, water droplets D from water faucet F are shown falling on fur fibers ill. Sheared fur fibers 11' apparently present a generally fiat and smooth outer surface and water falling thereon is shed or repelled and flows off the pelt. Thus, only a relatively small drying time is required in which to dry the sheared fur mink pelt S after it has been wetted.

Tests were conducted on unsheared fur mink pelts U and sheared mink pelts S in accordance with my invention and the following results were obtained.

Employing an unsheared mink pelt, two ounces of cold water were dropped ten inches on the unsheared and sheared mink pelts from a water faucet. After thirty seconds, one and one-quarter ounces of the water remained on the unsheared pelt. In the sheared mink fur pelt only one-eighth of an ounce of water remained thereon after thirty seconds.

The unsheared and sheared mink pelts above were dried at a temperature of 74. The sheared mink pelt was dried in nine minutes whereas the unsheared mink pelt was only dried after seventy-three minutes.

A further test comparing the resilience of the fur fiber in unsheared mink pelts with sheared mink pelts was employed. A pressure of one pound was'applied over two square inches of the pelts pressing the fur fiber against the skin of the pelts. With the unsheared mink pelt twenty-six seconds were required for the mink fur fiber to return to its natural standing position whereas with the sheared mink pelt only two and one-half seconds were required for the fur fiber to return to its natural standing position.

It is normal to assemble the several mink pelts in making a fur garment'and it is highly desirable that such pelts be relatively flexible so that they may be easily shaped or handled when fitted into a fur garment. Sheared mink fur pelts are more flexible than unsheared pelts and are easily fitted or shaped into fur garments.

In the shearing of the mink pelt, the fur fiber must be sheared at a length so that the outer ends 15 of guardhairs 13 are removed from above fur fibers 11 with the finished sheared pelt having fur fibers of substantially the same length. It has been found that the pelt may be sheared on its fur side throughout its entire area to a substantially uniform level at which the fur fibers of the finished product are of a length between three and seventeen millimeters (O.l2-0.67 inch) measured in situ. If the fibers are over seventeen millimeters long, the fur is undesirably plush-like. When the fur fibers are relatively short, such as around four millimeters, the finished product has the appearance of suede or velvet and may be employed to advantage in the manufacture of shoes, hats, or bags.

I am aware that other furs such as beaver, and, as shown in Pingree Patent 3,001,391 of September 26, 1961,

fur seal have been sheared, but these furs have different characteristics so that they are no indication of what to expect from the shearing of mink. It is a well known fact in the fur industry and among furriers that mink is never sheared, andit has always been considered that the only result to be expected of shearing mink fur is' only to ruin the fur. The results of shearing the mink fur, in a manner, asherein described, are therefore totally unexpected and radically novel. Normal processed mink fur is usual- 1y a relatively stifi, glossy fur, characterized especially by its guard-hairs. The fur is considered on the basis of the guard-hairs, among otherthings, injudgingthe quality expected that mink fur pelts would thus be transformed into soft, fluffy, easily workable fur, justas workable as cloth, in the manufacture of various kinds of fur garments. Nor would it be expected that the shearing of the mink fur pelts, as herein disclosed, would reveal and produce furs of a new appearance and beauty and skins that could be readily matched in a new way for new arrangements in a garment. This is aside from the factthat the new mink thus produced has unexpected water repellent ability.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous resultsattained.

As various changes could be made in the above products without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A fur product consisting of a mink fur pelt sheared on the fur side substantially throughout its entire area to a substantially uniform level at which the fur fibers and guard-hairs of the product-are of a length between about three and seventeen millimeters (0.12- 067 inch) measured in situ with the sheared mink pelt having improved water repellent characteristics which allow a minimum drying timeafter being wetted.

2. A fur product consisting of a mink fur pelt sheared.

on the fur. side substantially throughoutits entire area to a substantially uniform level at which the fur fibers and reduced, the workability of the pelt is increased and its i water repellency increased.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,001,391 Pingree Sept. 26, 1961 

1. A FUR PRODUCT CONSISTING OF A MINK FUR PELT SHEARED ON THE FUR SIDE SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT IT ENTIRE AREA TO A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM LEVEL AT WHICH THE FUR FIBERS AND GUARD-HAIRS OF THE PRODUCT ARE OF A LENGTH BETWEEN ABOUT THREE AND SEVENTEEN MILLIMETERS (0.12-0.67 INCH) MEASURED IN SITU WITH THE AHEARED MINK PELT HAVING IMPROVED WATER REPELLANT CHARACTERISTICS WHICH ALLOW A MINIMUM DRYING TIME AFTER BEING WETTED. 